The MARY CELESTE

The MARY CELESTE - Digby County
Connections.

(By John Thurber)

Probably the greatest mystery of the North Atlantic is the story of the
MARY CELESTE. The story has been told and re-told in newspapers, magazines,
books and novels, with countless theories of what happened to the Captain, his
family, and crew.

On December 5,1872, the brigantine, DEI GRATIA, on a voyage from New
York to Gibraltar, came upon another brigantine that "appeared to be
steering a peculiar course. They bore down on her and found the strange acting
vessel to be the brigt. Mary Celeste, of New York, abandoned " (Digby
Courier, Oct. 1912). After a thorough search of the vessel,Oliver E. Deveau ,later a Captain himself, then First Mate of the Dei
Gratia, and two other men, were put aboard the Mary Celeste. This small crew
sailed the Mary Celeste to Gibraltar, accompanied by the Dei Gratia --- two
Nova Scotia - built brigantines, thus beginning the great mystery.

On board the Mary Celeste, had been Captain B.S. Briggs,of Marian,
Massachusetts, his wife and child, and a crew of eight, bound for Genoa, Italy,
with a cargo of alcohol, valued at $80,000. At Gibraltar an official survey of
the vessel was ordered and carried out. The survey found that nothing appeared
to have been disturbed by rough weather

" Spare panes of glass were also
found stowed away and unbroken, All articles of furniture in the Captain=s
cabin, including a harmonium, were in their proper places and uninjured by
water, the music and other books being also dry" The cargo of alcohol
" well stowed and in good order and condition, except one which had been
started".

But the most telling evidence found was a sword " which on its
being drawn out of its scabbard, exhibited signs of having been smeared with
blood and afterwards wiped; further, the top-gallant rail had marks on it
apparently of blood, and both bows of the vessel had been cut, to all
appearances intentionally, with some sharp instrument".

A mutiny ? Pirates ? - the mystery will live on forever. The Dei Gratia
had (at least) two Digby County men aboard.Oliver E. Deveau, the mate who sailed the Mary Celeste into
port, was born at Cape St. Mary's, lived at Brighton, and is buried at Plympton,
Digby County. The Captain of the Dei Gratia was D.R. Morehouse, of Digby Neck,
who was, incidentally, a friend of Capt. B.S. Briggs, of the Mary Celeste.

By
John Thurber

Sources:
Digby Courier, 1912 - obit. of Oliver E. Deveau.

Quotes
and information from an (1987) article by Russ Lownds in the Halifax Herald.

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